


Your Face, My Place

by andthestarsthatshine



Category: The Mindy Project
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-26
Updated: 2013-12-26
Packaged: 2018-01-06 06:59:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,965
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1103843
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/andthestarsthatshine/pseuds/andthestarsthatshine
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Thanks to the anon who left a fic prompt on tumblr. In this universe, Facebook is something literal. 'It's supposed to be a book with the faces of everyone you've ever loved inside of it.'</p>
            </blockquote>





	Your Face, My Place

**Author's Note:**

> Title taken from the song Charlotte by Air Traffic. 
> 
> This is also quite possibly the weirdest thing I've written but it was fun nonetheless.

'Danny, I have a question for you.'

He looked up to find Mindy standing at the doorway of his office. 'Go ahead.'

She moved to close the door then sat down on the chair opposite him. 'Do you have a Facebook?'

He put down his pen in exasperation and leaned back in his chair. 'Not this again.'

'Come on. You must have one. Everyone has one.'

'Well, I don't.'

'You're lying.'

'No, I'm not. I never saw much use for it.'

'But Danny! Everyone has one!'

'Not me.'

'But-'

'Nope.'

'Fine.' She stood up to leave. 'I'm on to you, Castellano.'

'Sure you are,' he said without looking up from his desk.

* * *

'I love you.'

'I love you too, Cliff.'

Cliff kissed Mindy on her nose and smiled down at her.

'Hey Cliff? Can I see it now?'

'See what?'

'Your Facebook?'

'What?'

'I know you have one. Everyone has one. And now that we're in a serious relationship and in love and everything, I think I have the right to see it now.'

'Um, alright. If you show me yours.'

Mindy got up excitedly and went over to her bedroom. At the top of her wardrobe she kept a box which she only opened occasionally these days. She came back out into the living room with the box and sat down beside Cliff.

She gently took out a book and handed it over to Cliff. 'Ok. Here you go.'

'So this is your Facebook, huh?'

'Yep.'

'It's heavy.'

'I fall in love easily, I guess.'

Cliff looked over at Mindy. 'Yeah?'

She just shrugged in response.

Cliff flipped over the front cover of the book carefully and brushed his hand across the first face that was there. 'Who's this? He looks a bit young.'

'That's my childhood sweetheart. Kevin.'

'You were in love with him?'

'Well, it felt a lot like love at the time. I guess that's why he made an appearance in my book. I guess in hindsight it wasn't really love. But there he is.'

He turned over the page. 'And this?'

'That's Tim. My first college boyfriend. He's the first guy I thought was The One. He didn't know what the Empire State Building was though. It would never have worked out.'

'Was that the reason you two ended things?'

'No. It was more than that really. We just weren't compatible, I guess.'

Cliff gently squeezed Mindy's hand before turning the page again.

'That's Dave. My second college boyfriend. He's the one I lost my V-card to.'

'Your 'V-card'? Really, Mindy? You're a doctor. You can say the word.'

'Shut up, you.'

He smiled at her and turned to the next page.

'That's Mike. When I was in med school. He was the start and end of my bad boy phase.'

'Oh? He was a bad boy?'

'Well, he looked it. He actually cried at Toy Story.'

Cliff chuckled at that before turning to the next page. 'And who's face is this?'

'Tom. He dumped for some war criminal.'

'War criminal?'

'Well, yeah. Some Serbian bagel girl. I mean, there's no way to know whether or not she's a war criminal. I think she is.'

'Mindy, I highly doubt that. For one, I would be all over that.'

'You're a divorce lawyer, Cliff.'

'Oh so you've noticed? I was starting to think your whole practice didn't seem to care about that.'

Mindy playfully stuck her tongue at him. He just shook his head and turned the page.

'That's Casey. We were engaged.'

'Oh? When was that?'

'A few months ago.'

'What?'

'Relax, Cliff. It was practically light years away.'

'Light years is actually a measure of dist-'

Mindy feigned boredom by snoring loudly.

'Alright. I'm turning the page.' He was met with the mirror of his own face.

'And that's you.'

'Yeah. I can see that.'

'You don't seem so happy about it.'

'No, of course I am. I'm happy about it. Really.' He leaned over to peck her on the lips.

* * *

'Hey.' Danny had popped his head into Mindy's office, concerned with how quiet she was being today. His suspicions were confirmed when he found her lying on the floor. He sighed and closed the door behind him before moving to sit down beside her.

'Danny, I'm going to die alone.'

'Hey, don't say that, Min. What happened?'

She sat up to look him in the eye better. 'Cliff doesn't love me.' The minute she said those words the tears started coming.

He awkwardly moved to comfort her, putting an arm around her and patting her shoulder. 'How do you know that?'

'I saw his Facebook. He seemed kind of reluctant to show me even though I showed him mine. But I saw it and-and I wasn't even there. Not even a little bit.'

'Oh Min, I'm sorry.'

'And he told me he loved me.'

'He what?'

'He told me a few times and I believed him because I'm an idiot. Why would he lie?!'

Danny could feel his blood boiling. 'I don't know. Maybe he thought he loved you?'

'He could've looked at his damn Facebook to make sure of it!'

'Maybe it just hadn't appeared yet?'

'Danny. You know how these things work. It's supposed to be a book with the faces of everyone you've ever loved inside of it. I wasn't there. At all.'

Danny sighed again. 'I'm sorry, Min.'

'I have no one!'

'Hey, you have me. You'll always have me.'

'Danny, I know I have you but that's not the same. I'm never going to find love.'

He let out a shaky breath before moving to kiss her temple. 

* * *

Danny bumped into Cliff in the lobby of their building and, with nothing but anger flowing through his veins, he marched over to him and punched him in the jaw.

Cliff fell backwards, a hand clutching his face. 'What the hell was that for?'

'You know damn well what that was for. I warned you if you ever hurt her I would be coming for you.'

'Danny, come on. I didn't mean to hurt her-'

'Are you kidding me right now?! You told her you loved her! You  _lied_ to her! You knew there was a chance she could find out yet you still did it!'

Cliff got up and pointed an accusing finger at Danny. 'You know you care a little too much for someone who's just a  _friend_.'

Danny stood there speechless, eyes darting around nervously.

'I knew it. You're in love with her.'

'That-that's ridiculous!'

'Oh come on. I bet that if I looked through your Facebook, I would find Mindy's face there!'

'What? No! Are you nuts?! You're nuts.'

'Danny, you're a terrible liar. Maybe you should be thanking me. Now she's freed up for you!' Cliff stormed off leaving Danny standing there, frozen to the spot.

Unbeknownst to him, Mindy had heard the whole exchange. She quietly turned around to head back up to her office, thoughts all over the place.

* * *

Mindy had been thinking about the argument between Cliff and Danny that she had witnessed. She couldn't get it out of her mind and now more than ever she was determined to find Danny's Facebook and see for herself.

She needed a plan though. Danny was always there before her and stayed later than she did. He would get suspicious if she got there too early or stayed too late. She decided on sneaking in on Saturday to look through his office. It had to be there. Or in his apartment. She really hoped it was the former because it seemed like a far easier option to break into his office than his apartment.

Saturday rolled around far too slowly for her liking. 

She was decked out in her burglar outfit (with a few too many accessories in bright pink) as she made her way into the practice. She still felt the need to sneak around even though she was certain that no one would be there.

She quickly fished out the master key and opened the door to Danny's office, quietly padding over to his desk. She opened the first drawer and was surprised to find a copy of  _People_ magazine. Well that solved the mystery of who kept stealing that magazine before she could get to it.

She found nothing of further interest so she rooted through the second drawer. Still nothing. She went for the third drawer but found that it was locked. Interesting. She hoped that the key for that drawer was kept around here somewhere and searched through every possible space it could be kept. After half an hour of searching, she sat down in Danny's chair, frustrated that her attempts to find Danny's Facebook had all gone to waste.

She pulled herself forward, using the desk as leverage, when her fingers brushed across something cold and metal. She looked under the desk to find a key taped to the underside and she smiled victoriously. She carefully removed the key and inserted into the third drawer and it opened. Mindy couldn't help but do a victory dance around the office before focusing on the task at hand.

She didn't need to look for long to find what she was looking for. There, in a leather-bound case, was Danny's Facebook. She brushed her fingers over it reverently, aware that she was being let in on a big secret, even if Danny didn't know about it. She felt guilty for a second. He obviously didn't want her to know about it if he had lied about having one in the first place. But then her curiosity got the better of her and she opened the book up to the first page. 

The first face there was that of a pretty, young girl no older than sixteen. She figured it must have been Danny's first serious girlfriend and turned the page. There she found someone else who looked much like the first one, just a little older. She was sure that she remembered Danny mentioning an old college girlfriend who fit this description. On the next page, she found Christina's face staring back at her and Mindy shrieked and dropped the book. After mumbling an apology to no one in particular, she picked the book back up again and turned the page over just as the door to Danny's office flung wide open.

'Mindy?'

Shit. Danny.

'I thought I heard a scream coming from here. What are you doing here?'

He moved closer to where she was sitting by his desk and the colour drained from his face as he spotted his Facebook open on her face.

'Mindy, what the fuck are you doing?!'

'Danny, I-' she covertly looked down to make sure she was actually seeing her own face on the page that was open in front of her before shutting the book.

Danny sighed heavily and pinched the bridge of his nose. 'Mindy. Have you absolutely no respect for my privacy?'

'Danny-'

'You know what? Save it. There was a reason I never told you, or anyone for that matter, about it and you just couldn't help yourself. Well, great. Now you know the truth. Please try not to use it against me too much. If you can help yourself.' Danny spat out the last words, the fire in his eyes portraying an anger she had never seen directed at her before.

'Dan-'

'Mindy, just get out. I don't want to hear it. Just go home.'

Danny moved to allow her room to leave and she did so without protest, unable to look him in the eye.

* * *

Mindy was dreading going to work on Monday. She felt terrible for rooting through Danny's things but she also felt terrified because  _he was in love with her_ and how had she not seen the signs before? 

She needed to talk to him, to seek his forgiveness, but she had no idea how to broach the subject. It would be so much easier if she never saw her own face staring back at her. 

She walked into the practice and made a beeline for her office, shutting the door behind her. She needed a few minutes to prepare herself before she talked to Danny.

After a few minutes of giving herself a pep talk, she got up and made her way to Danny's office, knocking on his closed door.

'Yes?' came Danny's gruff voice on the other side of the door. She swallowed before opening the door and quickly entering his office.

'What?' Well, he certainly was keeping the chilly reception going.

'I just-I came here to apologise.' She nodded as if trying to reinforce what she was saying.

'Ok. Then apologise.'

'I'm sorry, Danny.'

'For getting caught?'

'No! I'm sorry for going through your things in the first place.'

'Why did you do it?'

'I don't know. I heard you and Cliff in the lobby and I guess I was just curious about what he said so-'

'So you thought you'd go through my things?'

She pursed her lips and nodded, avoiding eye contact.

'You really are unbelievable.'

'Danny, come on. I said I was sorry.'

'No. You went too far this time.'

'Danny! I'll show you my Facebook!'

'Not the same. I'm sure you'll show that thing to just about anyone.'

'Hey! That's not true!'

'Just the other week you were showing the whole damn office!'

'Ok, point.'

'Mindy, just-just leave me alone. I need time to-I just need time, ok?'

Mindy nodded before leaving as quickly as she entered.

Danny put his head in his hands once she had gone. He wasn't so much angry at her as he was at himself. This was not how he wanted her to find out. That stupid book. He knew he should've just burnt the damn thing.

He took out the book and opened it up to Mindy's face. That damn page is the reason he's in this mess. He ripped it out and tossed it in the bin, slamming the book shut and tapping his foot as his eyes darted around in panic. He opened the book up again and found that Mindy had reappeared on another page, her features now even stronger than before.

'You have got to be kidding me?!' 

He ripped it out and, sure enough, she reappeared even more prominent than before. 

No matter how hard he tried to rid himself of the image of her face, it just came back stronger than ever. He groaned loudly in exasperation, knowing that she wasn't going to go away that easily.

* * *

It had taken about two weeks of Mindy worrying about how she might have just destroyed the best friendship she has ever had with anyone when Danny walked into her office with lunch.

'Peace offering,' he said while holding up a paper bag and then placing it on her desk.

'Oh?'

'Yeah. I guess I can't really stay mad at you forever, so...' he shrugged.

'So you forgive me?'

'Yeah, sure. But that doesn't make what you did ok, alright?'

Mindy nodded then rounded her desk to hug Danny.

'Alright, eat your damn lunch,' he said, a small smirk on his face.

'Danny, I've missed you.'

'Yeah. I've missed you too, Min.'

They locked eyes for longer than considered normal before he cleared his throat and looked back down at his lunch.

'So how have you been?'

'Oh. Ok I guess. Mrs Jacobsen had her twins a couple days ago.'

'Yeah? I know you were worried about her.'

'Yeah. Everything went fine. How have you been, Danny?'

'Ok. Richie's coming to visit this weekend.'

'Really?!'

'Yeah. You guys can meet. I suppose you didn't get much of a chance to talk last time.'

'Yay!' Mindy started dancing in her seat.

'Ok, stop that.'

'Spoilsport.'

* * *

Mindy kept dreaming about Danny. It was an almost nightly occurrence and she always woke up in a cold sweat.

Every time, she imagined different scenarios where Danny was no longer her friend or he had moved to another practice. In the latest one, she was dressed in black, staring at his lifeless form in his casket and she woke up in tears, immediately ringing Danny to check he was still alive.

After scolding her about the ridiculous hour she was calling at, concern took over when he heard her tone of voice and he hurried over to her apartment.

The minute she opened the door to him she flung her arms around his neck and sobbed into his chest.

'Hey, it's ok. I'm right here,' Danny said softly while soothingly rubbing circles into her back.

'It felt so real, Danny.'

'It's ok, Min.'

He stayed over that night, running his fingers through her hair and whispering words of reassurance into her ear as she lay there with her head on his chest, finding some comfort in the fact that she could hear his heart beating. It felt like he was saying ' _I'm alive and I'm here_ ' to the rhythm of his own heart, each syllable matching each beat.

She sleeps well that night, content and secure in the comfort of his arms and, despite the dilemma he sees in front of him, so does he.

She wakes up alone and she can feel the panic rising through her before her eyes land on a note with Danny's distinctive handwriting on it.

_Don't panic! Had to go get a change of clothes before work. See you at the office._ _Love, Danny._

She ran her fingers across the indents of his heavy handwriting and she came to a realisation. Somewhere down the line she had fallen in love with him. Through all this worry about losing him as a friend, losing him forever, she hadn't focused on what it had all meant until now. 

She sat there in her bed, thinking about what to do next. Really, the answer seemed obvious but there was still a sense of uncertainty. She knew Danny loved her. She had  _seen_ it. But she still feared that she was the last one before he found the person he was supposed to spend the rest of his life with and that stopped her from running to him right now.

* * *

When she walked into the practice, Danny had asked her if she was ok what seemed like every five minutes and she snapped at him.

'Danny, I'm fine! Just leave me alone! God, you're so annoying!'

She tried to ignore the hurt that flashed across his features. She tried to ignore the way her heart sank when he nodded once and then left quietly. She tried to ignore the urge to run into his office and tell him she loved him.

Their schedules for the rest of the day meant that they didn't bump into each other at all and she was grateful for that much. She needed time to think and she knew she wouldn't be able to think clearly with him around.

She went home, exhausted after a tough delivery, and kicked off her shoes as she fell forward onto her bed, a groan stifled by her duvet.

After a few moments of laying motionless, she got up and looked toward the box at the top of her wardrobe. She hadn't looked through it in a while. Every time she did she would burst into tears. All those times she had given her heart away only to have it broken. 

Yet something inside of her compelled her to take a look. So there she was, reaching for the box and taking out the book. She carefully sat back down on her bed and took a deep breath, staring at the book in front of her.

She flipped through the pages slowly, willing away tears at each face staring back at her. She got to Cliff and she wanted to slam the book closed again but she had to know something. She had to know if Danny was there or if her feelings were borne out of loneliness or a close friendship.

She took another deep breath and turned the page.

Suddenly a dam broke and tears came streaming down her cheeks. Danny was there. She carefully touched the features she had long ago memorised. What surprised wasn't so much his appearance in the book as the fact that his name was written in gold underneath his face. 

She had seen it in all of her movies. When two people are in love and they are destined to be together for the rest of their lives, the name appears in gold underneath their face. She thought it only ever happened in the movies. She thought it was just some myth perpetuated by Hollywood yet there she was, staring at his name etched in gold.

* * *

'DANNY!'

She's repeatedly pounding on his door, shouting his name over and over again, her Facebook tucked under her arm.

'Danny! Let me in!'

The door swings open and Danny's standing there, bed head already forming. 

'Mindy, what the hell?'

'Danny! I have to show you something!'

'Mindy. Can't it wait? I'm tired and I'm in no mood for you to be switching back and forth between needing me and finding me 'so annoying'.'

'Danny, please.' She shoved her book towards him. 'Just take a look! Look at who's on the last page!'

'Mindy, no, I'm not checking out your Facebook and I'm sure as hell not going to like whatever's in there.'

'Come on! Please!'

'No!'

'But-'

'NO! Why are you doing this? I don't want to see the face of the next schmuck you've fallen in love with!'

'No, you don't understand-'

'Mindy, just go. I'm tired and I don't have the patience to entertain you right now. Goodbye.' With that he gently shut the door in her face.

She looked down at the book in her hands before sighing and resigning herself to trying again tomorrow.

* * *

At the first opportunity she could find, Mindy approached Danny in his office and tried to show him the book again.

'Again with that damn book? Seriously, Mindy.'

'Danny just look!'

'Nope. Not happening.'

'Danny, please just take a look.'

'Fine. I really don't know why you're doing this to me. But fine. I'll look at your damn Facebook!'

He angrily flipped through the pages and stopped when he saw his own face there. He could feel his heart beating faster and his vision blurring as his eyes landed on his name written in gold. He knew what this meant. Mindy had told him countless times every time he caught her watching one of those damn movies. He never believed it was something that actually happened. He took out his own book and opened it up to Mindy's face and found that her name was also written in gold, just as he suspected.

He looked up at Mindy, eyes wide and mouth open in surprise. 'You're in love with me?'

Mindy nodded. 'That's what I've been trying to tell you.'

'And-and we're-what was that quote in your movies-destined to be together-something like that?'

'Yeah. Something like that.'

He got up and made his way over to Mindy, his hands grasping hers. 'And that's why you're here. Because-because you want this?'

'Danny, I came here because when you realise you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible.'

'Oh boy. A movie quote.' He couldn't help but let a wide grin split his face in half.

'It's relevant.'

He gently held her face in his arms and kissed her tenderly.

'You know I'm going to be quoting movies for the rest of our lives, right?'

'Don't care. I'll take it.' He smiled down at her before kissing her again.


End file.
